Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage sustainable packaging for all medication distributed by the NHS, including sustainable alternatives to plastic blister packs for pills.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England is working collaboratively with a range of partners including the Department, the pharmaceutical industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and others to support achievement of net zero ambitions for the National Health Service, as summarised in the Delivering a net zero NHS report published in October 2020. Action on packaging, alongside a wide range of other activities, will support achievement of these ambitions, often also improving efficiency and reducing cost.
NHS England is supporting specific initiatives such as Circularity in Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging, a not-for-profit collaborative which aims, amongst other ambitions, to improve the circularity of blister packs. The MHRA provides regulatory and scientific advice to companies improving the environmental sustainability of their products, and can assist with changes to packaging materials.
Patient safety will always be our primary objective, with increased environmental sustainability in pharmaceutical packaging playing an important part in mitigating the long-term impacts of climate change on our patients.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that there is clarity for patients about different roles within clinical teams in healthcare settings, including regarding anaesthesia and physician associates.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs) are supervised by a designated senior doctor, in the role of a consultant, registrar, or general practitioner. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out plans to increase the PA workforce to 10,000 by 2036/37, and the AA workforce to 2,000 over the same period. The plan also calls for 60,000 more doctors, for a factor of five to one in favour of more doctors, which will contribute to the sustainable implementation of this multidisciplinary model and deliver increased capacity to supervise and support new associate staff.
NHS England is working with the relevant professional colleges and regulators to ensure the use of associate roles is expanded safely and effectively, and that they are appropriately supported, supervised, and integrated into multidisciplinary teams.
The introduction of regulation by the General Medical Council (GMC) will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of AAs and PAs, and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and that of doctors.
As set out in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines, all healthcare professionals should introduce themselves and explain their role to the patient regardless of their job title. In addition, the GMC has published interim standards for AAs and PAs in advance of regulation which makes it clear that professionals should always introduce their role to patients, and set out their responsibilities in the team.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that NHS staff have sufficient capacity to supervise and support new associate staff.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs) are supervised by a designated senior doctor, in the role of a consultant, registrar, or general practitioner. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out plans to increase the PA workforce to 10,000 by 2036/37, and the AA workforce to 2,000 over the same period. The plan also calls for 60,000 more doctors, for a factor of five to one in favour of more doctors, which will contribute to the sustainable implementation of this multidisciplinary model and deliver increased capacity to supervise and support new associate staff.
NHS England is working with the relevant professional colleges and regulators to ensure the use of associate roles is expanded safely and effectively, and that they are appropriately supported, supervised, and integrated into multidisciplinary teams.
The introduction of regulation by the General Medical Council (GMC) will provide a standardised framework of governance and assurance for the clinical practice and professional conduct of AAs and PAs, and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and that of doctors.
As set out in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines, all healthcare professionals should introduce themselves and explain their role to the patient regardless of their job title. In addition, the GMC has published interim standards for AAs and PAs in advance of regulation which makes it clear that professionals should always introduce their role to patients, and set out their responsibilities in the team.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Chelmsford (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, in view of the expected growth in the supply of physician associates (PAs) to 10,000 by 2036–37 under the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, how many PAs are expected to work in each setting.
Answered by Lord Markham - Shadow Minister (Science, Innovation and Technology)
Physician Associates (PAs) currently work in over 40 specialties across primary, secondary, and community care, each determined by local needs and decisions. The largest proportion of the PA workforce works with doctors and other colleagues in primary care, followed by emergency and acute medicine. Other specialties include geriatrics, stroke, community, dermatology, and ear, nose, and throat. We have not made a central assessment of where we expect PAs to work in 2036/37. PAs' work must be undertaken within local clinical governance rules, and under the supervision or oversight of a senior doctor.